


Open Arms

by seveillon



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Canon, Birthday, Family Fluff, Feel-good, Fluff, Gen, Mother-Son Relationship, kid!Eren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-31
Updated: 2015-03-31
Packaged: 2018-03-20 12:06:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3649716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seveillon/pseuds/seveillon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carla and Eren have special mother/son bonding on a little trip away from home. Happy birthday, Eren!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Open Arms

**Author's Note:**

> Idk why it says published the 31st, cuz it was the 30...? way to ruin the whole birthday point of the fic smh

Eren tugged on his mother’s apron attempting to drag her faster to the field. They had planned a special picnic with his favorite seasoned meat. She also insisted on bringing along a fruit salad but promised she’d drizzle some honey on it to satisfy his sweet tooth, ensuring Eren would also eat the fruit.

“Mommy,” Eren whined, impatience lacing his voice. “Hurry, I’m starving!”

Carla batted her son’s hand off her apron. “Calm down, Eren.” She fussed over her clothes, straightening out the apron as best she could while holding a large picnic basket and blanket. “You had a giant breakfast, you barely left any food for your father or myself. I don’t even know how you could be hungry again so soon,” she chuckled looking at her son’s impatient red face.

“But Mooooooom.” Eren collapsed in a heap on the grass, one arm thrown over his face in mock anguish.

Carla threw the blanket over him. “Get up, you lazy bones. I’ll race you there!”

She took off immediately. The field was only a few meters away, so the picnic basket wasn’t too much trouble along the way. Eren caught up quickly. He was holding the blanket around his neck letting the end of it fly out behind him. They kept pace with each other, finally collapsing together in a heap of giggles. 

“Oh goodness,” Carla pressed a hand to her face, feeling the heat from exertion that made her blush. Eren rolled up onto her chest, a giant, goofy grin stretching his face. The kid had barely broken a sweat.

“Are you okay, Mom?”

She patted his head endearingly, running her fingers through his brown mop of hair. “Yes, thank you.” She peered down at his head he had rested on her chest. “What do you say we get this picnic started?” That immediately perked him up. Eren popped up, clumsily putting out the blanket for them to set up on. Carla fanned her skirts out around her as she sat, tucking her legs neatly. Reaching into the basket she removed a bottle of water, Eren’s favorite meat, the fruit bowl, as well as some bread she had baked that morning. There was already a bite taken out of the loaf because Eren just “couldn’t help himself” when he smelled it, he said. Normally, Carla would’ve scolded him harder, but it was his birthday, so she had let him off easy.

They ate in relative silence, aside from the noise coming from Eren’s mouth. Carla fondly recalled this morning’s events. Eren had bounded down the stairs, shaking the house’s foundations. “It’s my birthday!” He kept shouting over and over, it was nearly impossible to get him to settle down enough and eat. Carla had made him a simple, but tasty breakfast of fruit, cheese, and boiled egg. Eren wolfed it down like he had never been fed before in his life as per usual. Talking through his food he had asked, “What’s the plan for today?”

Eren hadn’t seemed too disappointed when his father announced he needed to make a special trip to the interior, so he’d be spending his birthday with just his mother. In fact, Eren smiled, showing off his food in the most disgusting way, and just nodded obligingly.

The memory faded as Carla shook her head, a small smile creeping up on her face. “I can’t believe you’re six already.” 

She didn’t mean to say it out loud, hadn’t even realized she did until Eren asked, “What was that, Mommy?”

Back to reality, Carla refocused her attention on her son… and grimaced. Food stuck all over his face and onto his clothes. She whipped it off as best as she could but she gave up when she noticed it had gotten into his hair. “Looks like someone’s going to have to have a bath tonight.”

Eren pouted. “But I like my mess.”

“Well, I don’t. And I like my little man to be squeaky clean. How about this,” Carla leaned close to her son and whispered conspiratorially, “we go get some firewood, so we can heat some water, and we can get some flowers to make the water pretty and smell good!”

Eren’s eyes lit up. Honestly, he would’ve said yes to anything as long as I involved spending more time with his mother. “Okay!” He agreed readily.

They packed up quickly; Eren continued to hold onto to blanket, Carla carried the basket. After a few yards she felt a little hand nudge hers, lacing pudgy fingers through her own slender ones. Carla smiled down at her son, humming a sweet lullaby under her breath as they headed off in search off flowers and branches.

**Author's Note:**

> Eren was turning six, so this was before Mikasa came along, if anyone wanted to know why she wasn't there.
> 
> I really wanted to write a mother/son fic for Eren's birthday because his relationship with his mother kills me. I wanted there to be so much more. Carla was a great character, and a wonderful mother, and in the manga and anime I could always see how much Eren loved her. So I made up some sweet memories for him.


End file.
